Elise Sands Story

[Kentgal]

Elizabeth Anne (Elise) Sands is one of a unique group of Irish women recognised for their humanitarian work among soldiers and founder of a welfare movement which survives today.

Born in 1851 at Oak Ville ( Now a convent attached to Fatima Nursing Home) in Oakpark Tralee Co Kerry a sickly child, only two when her mother died, and she had little formal schooling.

When she was 11 years old about 1862 the religious revival in the Presbyterian Church (known as the '59' revival) reached Kerry. Elise's father took her to a revival meeting at their local church which had a lasting affect and was to dominate her life.

She made a life long friend with Mary Fry at age 13 when she was sent to a French school in Brae. Her fathers death in (1866) caused her great anguish and she returned to finish school with her religious feelings strongly reinforced by the memory of his concern for her spiritual welfare.

When she returned to Tralee (where there was a military barracks) she already knew which way lifes path would lead as in those days soldiers were prey to.................to be continued.

[Kentgal]

Back then when Elise returned home, supplies & medical care was rudimentry and the soldier was prey to cholera, dysentry & venerial disease among others in addition to the awful boredom of barrack life between spells of repetitive drilling and stern discipline.

Spiritual life in the ranks was primarily confined to Church Parades and sermons of hellfire and damination. From this hard environment many soldiers sought escape in alcohol with the resulting aftermath destructive in personal and army discipline terms.

Elise felt particularly sorry for the little Drummer boys (recruited at 15 years of age & 10 to a regiment) exposed to the hard cynical companionship of older soldiers & quickly picked up bad habits which would lead them astray.
She was impressed to find that her friend Mary Fry (who had returned to live in Dublin) had begun inviting some of the vulnerable young Drummer lads to tea, bible readings and hymn singing in her house.
Seeing great possibilities in these social geatherings which the lads valued as an break from army life Elise at once made contact with the same boys in her local Tralee barracks.
Progress was slow at first but soon there were so many visiting which disrupted her family life and she was forced to rent a premises at 15 Nelson St Tralee (1871) and that was the nucleus of the 'Sands Soldiers Homes'. Gradually, not only the young Drummer boys were visiting, but hardened ranks, seeking a place of friendship and sympathy.

She received much encouragment and financial help from a Mr William Perrot, agent of the Bank Of Ireland in Tralee. As the Home in Tralee became more established Elise cast her eyes outwards towards the city of Cork wit its large garrison occuping several barracks and forts, the largest gunpowder factory in the British Isles and a very large naval base at Queenstown.

[Kentgal]

The Cork Sands Home was opened in King Street on 10th June 1877 due to the generosity of a retired Naval Officer who purchased the house for [259.00 for her.
It had a coffee room, reading room and meeting room. Her philosophy was "I try to make my Homes not institutes or clubs or mission halls, but in the truest sense of the word 'HOMES' that any christian mother would allow for her boys, I feel free to have for my soldiers.

In the same year a Dublin committee was formed to start a home at Parkgates near the GHQ for the army in Ireland and later Elise was asked to take it over which she did with the help of her two friends Marie Fry and Mary Stoaks.

Eventually when the Cork Home became too small, the burden fell on Elise alone (her two friends had passed away) to seek the finance to build and furnish larger premises. With letters of introduction she went to London to see a Mr Denny (Kerry connections) & a Mr Palmer (Biscuit manufacturer).
Both men contributed generiously and persuaded other wealthy businessmen to do the same. Another generous friend was John Grubb, Richardsons of Bessbrook, the philanthropic mill owner near Rostrevor to whom Elise paid frequent visits.
Having collected [3000,00 she purchased a site in Cork near the Railway station and the building work started almost immediately. At this time also she was joined by a Miss Scofield who later became the supervisor of the Cork Home.
Under the strain of overwork Elise contracted Rhumatic fever in May 1886. She went to the shores of Lough Swilley in Co Donegal where her family had taken a house to recuperate and she returned to work the following September.

[Kentgal]

Elise went to Belfast in 1888 and initially stayed in the Pattersons Temperance Hotel in College Square. She later moved to the home of a Miss Flemming 48 Botanic Ave, where she met the owner of a shipbuilding yard who gave her a donation of [500,00 thus enabling the start of her first Home in Belfast in a small room at 110 Royal Ave.
It was here she met a young man called John Kinahan a mamber of a family who had large interests in the whole spirits and table water trade. He became an active worker in her cause and when he died in 1955 he was one of the trustees of the Home.
A Mr S D Bell (the business founded by him still survives) proved to be a long time unselfish benifactor who "literally kept her from starving in the early days in the city".

In 1891 another larger Home was established in cork to cater for the increasing numbers of soldiers visiting and 4 years later another new home was built beside the barracks in Dundalk.
At this time due to the increased transit of troops through Dublin due to the South African War a second Home was opened in Dublin with further Homes opened in Cahir, Athlone, Queenstown and the Curragh.

By 1898 there were 11 Homes in Ireland and 4 in India (Quetta, Rawalpindi, Meerut, Lucknow) and on the outbreak of the South African War, John Kinahan sailed for Cape Town and commenced the setting up of temporary canvas Homes in areas with large troop concentrations.
The success of these Marquee structures during the war prompted Elsie Sands to do the same in the Summer camps in Ireland. The first was established at the Artillery Camp in the Glen of Imaal Co Wicklow, the second at Ballykinlar. Others followed at Kilbride and Coolmoney Co Wicklow and Magilligan, Co Derry.

[Kentgal]

Elises dream of having a Sands Home in every Garrison town in Ireland was fast becoming a reality (22 homes by 1913) and she was proving herself to be a very competent administrator as more Homes were established (11) in widely scattered remote locations across India.

The Curragh Home where 5,000 soldiers were based at the time (1899) was so successful and particularly gratifying to Elise. The women in charge were addressed as 'Mother' and it is clear from the many testimonies of grateful soldiers that they created a 'Home from Home' atmosphere for lonely men, some of whom were alcoholics.
Many of the men believed themselves to have been saved in body and spirit and some even became missionaries.

The Great War (1914)
When war was declared Elise was in Coolmoney Camp and increased her humanitarian work as Army camps expanded with the call-up of reserves and new recruits.
She and her helpers quickly became aware of the appalling scale of casualties and horrors of war reported in the many letters sent from the trenches and their work for the next 4 years was to prepare men for death.
Along with prayers there were practical supports: parcels sent to men at the front, with food, clothing, books, magazines and treats. Women went on board troopships before they sailed, handing out postcards and pencils for soldiers to send a last message home.

[Kentgal]

Elise Sands departed from the Curragh on 3rd August 1922 with the establishment of the Free State.
On her final night there she observed, and thought it a good omen for the future as a Drummer from the Free State Army met his counterpart from the British Army as they greeted each other warmly.

She moved to her own new home in Ballkinlar Co Down where she died in August 1934 and was buried in Tyrella with full military honours. Both she and her successor Eva Maguire are though to be the only civillian women to have received this distinction and both also received the CBE.
Her simple headstone reads "For 66 years the Friend of the Soldiers'.

[Kentgal]

Sands Home in the Curragh.
Three Homes in the Free State remained open at the request of the Irish Army: one in the Curragh, one in Dublin and one in Queenstown albeit the last two closed down soon after the British Army left.

Sands Home in the Curragh remained until 1980s although it was never fully intregrated into the Sands organisation after 1921.
It seemed to have survived mainly on account of the determination of the women who ran it.

[Kentgal]

After World War 2 there were homes in such locations as Borneo, Hong Kong, Jamica, Malasia and Iceland but there are no longer any international centres.

Today the organisation survives as Sands Soldiers' and Airmen's Centres in Ballykelly, Ballykinlar, and Hollywood in Northern Ireland including Pirbright and Harrogate in the UK.

The staff consist of 18 full time workers.
The End.

References: See the Sands Homes Debate.

[Matt McNamara]

Regards

Matt

[teresap]

HI Kentgal found your articles on Elsie Sands very interesting, always wondered how it all got started, it was indeed a great place for soldiers to go in the evenings. And then from there the children's Bible clubs and the Ladies club, most of which went on for many years. The ladies club is still going strong, it is in Newbridge now. The ladies who ran them apart from Rosemary Parle are back in America now but still have great interest in them. From what i am reading the children who went to camps from the Curragh seems to have very fond memories from them they are still going quite well, my children went and now the next generation coming up are also going, they go to Avoca as Drewstown is closed up. So its amazing that the one she started in the Curragh for soliders has carried on through their children. Thank you for all the information on Elsie.

[oldirishladdie]

Hello Kentgal
What a lovely story as to the history of Sands Soldiers Home. Thank you .I spent many an evening in Sands home on the Curragh in the 1960ts what a great place it was and run by Great people. kind and caring. I have never forgotten them. All the best take care .Bye Noel

Ps Thanks for the Pictures of Sands . Matt